I'm still here! This is a short chapter. I figured I owed you something on it 'cause it feels like forever since I've posted something. Enough about me - on to our story!
He was on Vormir again, but it was different. He and Natasha were not the only two there. Just behind Nat stood Yelena. Nat's sister stood in place as Clint and Natasha fought for control. Clint watched Natasha as she leaped over the side of the cliff. He shot an arrow, knocking her to the ground. Clint looked at her and then ran toward the cliff. As he leaped, Natasha jumped and grabbed him. He shot a grappling arrow, and they swung around, suspended from the cliff's edge. He fought to hold on to his best friend, refusing to let go. Using her feet, she pushed away from the mountain and fell. This time, as he looked back up, he saw Yelena peering over the edge, looking down at Natasha's still, lifeless body. It took everything in him not to push off and follow her to his death.
Clint sat straight up, gasping for air, sweat rolling off his body. "Tasha, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough or brave enough to save you." He could hear Natasha's voice in his head, calling him an idiot, that he had saved her life enough times; it was her turn to save his. "Save it for what, though? It looks like I made a total screw-up of my life."
"Says who?" Clint turned to see Bucky standing in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb.
"Sorry I woke you." By this point, Clint was sitting, knees drawn to his chin, arms wrapped around his legs.
"Super soldier hearing. Didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"Old memories. Trying to remind myself I don't need to relive the past." Clint shrugged.
"Yeah, that never ends well. Here." Bucky reached out, an opened can of beer in his hand.
Clint uncurled himself, rolled over to the edge of the bed, and took the can from Bucky. "Thanks, come on in. Doesn't look like I'll be sleeping anymore tonight." Clint sat down on the bed and leaned against the headboard, stretching his legs. He picked up the remote and turned the TV to some nature documentary, figuring that would be less likely to trigger any flashbacks.
Bucky sat down in the chair and took a sip of his beer. "Ever been to the Amazon?" He motioned toward the TV.
"A few times. Too humid for me. You?"
"Yeah. HYDRA sent me to take out some dictator. I was camped out in some tree for days 'til he came down the river. Last I saw him, he was being squeezed by an anaconda, making my job easier. I snapped a photo, proving to HYDRA he was dead, then went to the next mission."
"Guessing you don't wanna go back?"
"Hell, no. This," Bucky said, waving toward the TV again, "is as close as I want to ever get."
"I'll drink to that." Clint lifted his beer in a toast.
"Back to what I heard," Bucky said. "You're not a screw-up, Barton. Do you think you're the only person who's gotten divorced? I think more people are divorced than aren't. You've got three kids who clearly adore you. You helped defeat Thanos and brought missing people back, reuniting families. Doesn't sound like a screwup to me."
Clint sighed. "I know. I can almost feel Nat slapping my head, knocking some sense into me.
Bucky stood, reached over, and slapped Clint on the back of his head, thankfully using his flesh and blood hand. "There. Feel better now?"
"First off, what the hell, Barnes? Secondly, why do ex-Russians assassins feel the need to injure me?"
"A, just trying to be helpful. B, must be part of your charm."
"Next time, try being a little less helpful."
"You got it, CB1." Bucky offered a mock salute.
Clint rolled his eyes. "I told you I attract trouble. Adding you to that list."
"I'm honored."
After finishing his beer, he set the can on the nightstand. Clint glanced at the TV to see something about plane crashes airing. "Nope, think I've lived through enough of those." He picked up the remote and changed it to a channel showing old movies. The last thing he remembered seeing was Doris Day, Rock Hudson, and a lot of pillows.
Bucky kept an eye on Clint until he was sure the archer was asleep. Bucky knew all about nightmares, having dealt with them off and on since escaping HYDRA, getting overwhelmed with them after the fight with Thanos. Most of those surrounding his time as the Winter Soldier relived many of his kills, especially after his therapist had talked to him about making amends. Bucky had noticed they had dimmed since working with Sam, so maybe the key was staying busy, having a mission, or a target. He decided his immediate task was to keep an eye on Clint in case he had any more nightmares. "Focus on one thing at a time to avoid my brain going into overdrive. I can do that." He figured he'd make himself comfortable, so Bucky went to the other bed, shoved Lucky to the other side, then stretched out to focus on the movie.
"Clint, Clint!" Kate came rushing into the room the following day. "Bucky's – oh." Her voice lowered to a normal tone when she saw Bucky asleep on the other bed; metal arm slung over Lucky.
"Morning to you, too." Clint turned from a small table and handed Kate a cup of coffee. She took the cup, gulped it down, and then walked toward the bed. "I wouldn't if I were you. Trust me. Nothing goes right when you try to wake up a supersoldier."
"But don't we need to be on the road?"
"Haven't looked outside, have you?" Clint walked to the window and pulled the curtain back. Kate followed him and peered over his shoulder. The snow was so packed and piled up that it covered the tires of the cars in the parking lot. "It's even worse in Iowa, so we're here for at least a couple more days. I hope you aren't too attached to anything but diner food, 'cause I don't think Door Dash is gonna be making any trips here."
"I just got out of college and lived on diner food. In fact, some people might consider me a diner food connoisseur."
Clint rolled his eyes. "Is that the same person who called you the world's greatest archer?" He waited for an answer as he drank from his coffee mug and drummed his fingers on the table.
"That's neither here nor there." Kate flipped her hair out of her face. "What matters is I am definitely up for diner food."
Whining could be heard coming from the other bed. Clint and Kate turned to see Lucky raising his head. "Come on, boy, let's go outside." Clint grabbed the dog's leash and shook it. Lucky squirmed his way out from under Bucky's arm and leaped off the bed. Clint hooked the leash onto Lucky's collar, then took the dog out for his morning walk. "Guessing that wasn't you that was whining, then."
"Nope. I don't whine." Bucky said, voice muffled since his face was buried in a pillow. To avoid drowning in drool, he turned his head to find Kate sitting with her legs propped up on the other bed.
"Whatever," Kate said. "Coffee?" Without waiting for an answer, Kate poured Bucky a cup and then handed it to him. "Not sure who's a more adorable sleeper, you or Lucky?"
"Kate, no one calls the Winter Solder adorable," Clint said, returning with Lucky, who proceeded to run around Kate, then jumped up on the bed and started licking Bucky's face.
"You can't tell me that's not adorable."
"I'll admit to Lucky being adorable," Clint said, hanging up Lucky's leash and grabbing another cup of coffee. "They've started serving breakfast in the lobby." After gulping down his coffee, Clint disappeared into the bathroom. Once the other two heard the water running, they returned to their rooms to prepare for the day.
